After Nantes and Lyon, it’s now Rennes’ turn to be served by “Ouigo Train classique”. Starting from April 5, 2024, these slower but cheaper trains will depart from Paris to reach the Breton capital, as announced by SNCF to Ouest-France. A daily round trip will be made from this date with a departure from Paris Austerlitz in the morning between 8 am and 8:30 am, and a departure from Rennes in the afternoon between 3 pm and 4 pm.
The travel time will be approximately 4 hours, according to Jérôme Laffon, general manager of Ouigo, SNCF’s low-cost offering. “It may sometimes be a little longer, sometimes a little less, depending on whether there are works on the line.” In TGV, the same route takes 1.5 hours when direct, 2 hours when stopping at Le Mans and Laval. As for the Ouigo Train classique, it will also serve the stations of Massy-Palaiseau, Versailles Chantiers, and Chartres.
But the main advantage of this SNCF offer is its price: Ouigo Train classique tickets are sold between €10 and €49. For children under 12, a fixed rate of €5 is applied. For this price, the traveler can carry one carry-on baggage and one cabin baggage, just like on Ouigo Grande Vitesse. An additional bag costs €5. The transport of a bike is charged at €5 if dismantled and stored in a bag, and €10 if not dismantled. However, the trains will not have Wi-Fi.
The launch of this new line comes just two years after the creation of this SNCF offer on the Paris-Nantes and Paris-Lyon lines, which was initially intended to be an experiment. “Its success has exceeded our expectations. Initially, we thought about transporting a million people over two years. We are now over double that! We decided to continue this experiment and even expand it” rejoices Jérôme Laffon.
The Ouigo general manager also notes the youth of the clientele for this slower-speed offer. “Nearly one customer in two is under 28 years old. These are populations that, on this type of journey, may have tended to prefer carpooling or taking the bus. With an offer like Ouigo Train classique, we aim to shift transportation from road to rail,” he explains.
From April 5, travelers heading to Rennes will be able to board these trains, which are former Corail trains customized in pink and light blue, the colors of Ouigo. Tickets until May 5 will be on sale from this Thursday, March 21 on OUIGO.com, on the OUIGO application, on the SNCF Connect website and application.
